A coalition of 19 European associations say the recent amendments proposed by the European Commission to the EU Deforestation Regulation prolong a situation of costly uncertainty and unrealistic implementation timelines. The new proposal, and the very challenging timeline to have it approved, risks undermining both the credibility and the practical enforcement of the Regulation, while placing European operators in an untenable position of legal and operational uncertainty. …The signatories state that the newly revised regulation, still pending final approval, leaves little time for companies to adapt. …The group highlights that different enforcement dates across company sizes are unfeasible, since small firms must align immediately to avoid disrupting business relations. The statement urges the Commission to implement a “stop-the-clock” mechanism to allow more time for assessing the regulation’s practical impact and simplifying its obligations, while reaffirming support for the EUDR’s environmental objective of halting deforestation.

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